Adidas Golf has become somewhat of a giant in the golf footwear market over the last ten years. Thanks to household names like Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose claiming three majors in the last five years whilst wearing adidas shoes, the sporting behemoth has solidified its position as one of the true players in the golf apparel market.
Like FootJoy, I think you’d have to travel pretty far to find a golfer that has never owned a pair of adidas shoes. I was lucky enough to own a pair as my first ever golf shoes, aged 14, oh how I loved them. 10 years on, like most things in life, golf shoes have changed a little, and now I had a new pair of adidas Golf shoes to try – the adidas Tour360 XT.
What’s It All About?
The first Adidas Tour360 shoe was launched in 2005 and has been its headline product ever since. Now however, it has undergone another redesign with the Tour360 XT, as they look to remain as one of the market-leaders in the spiked-shoe field.
Featuring a newly improved TPU outsole, eight spikes instead of ten, Boost cushioning, a new Insite sockliner, as well as a new mid-foot forging technique said to increase stability, the adidas Tour360 XT, as we’ve come to from expect from adidas, is packed with tech.
Following on from previous adidas golf shoes featuring Boost technology, like the adidas Powerband BOA Boost and the previous adidas Tour360 Boost Shoe, the Tour 360XT had its work cut out to improve on what is no doubt a tried and tested success story.
Adidas Say…
Masun Denison, global footwear director at adidas Golf, said:
We wanted to make the highest performing spikeless shoe in the industry. We tested all shapes and configurations and found that the X-shape, along with a rubberised TPU outsole, provided unmatched grip, stability, flexibility and performance. The X-shape also increases ground contact and provides more comfort on all surfaces.
The Test
Bramall Park Golf Club, Manchester, England. February, wet underfoot, preferred lies, a handful of winter tees, and temperatures that would scare off any fair-weather golfer. Perfect conditions for putting a pair of golf shoes through their proverbial paces.
As usual, I played a full 18 holes, testing the shoes on every type of golf course terrain you could imagine: tees, greens, fairways, bunkers, semi-rough, thick-rough… You get the picture.
Adidas Tour360 XT Golf Shoe Review
First Impressions
Out of the box, you’d have to try pretty hard to come up with a list of things you didn’t like about the Tour360 XT. Aesthetically, they are simple, clean and effective. The leather and synthetic upper gave the shoe a no-nonsense look. There’s no surprises here, we’re talking about adidas after all. When it comes to making a shoe look good, they know what they’re doing.
They shouted classic adidas styling from every angle. Which granted, is nothing new and some golfers may put down as a negative. Alternatively however, I found it quite refreshing in today’s golf shoe market, where there seems to be a trend of shoes with busy, over-complicated aesthetics. Adidas have erred on the side of caution with the Tour 360XT’s styling. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” springs to mind, and I for one won’t be arguing with it.
I was also impressed by the build quality of the Tour360 XT. Attention to detail was of the highest order and when trying on the shoes for the first time they really did feel good, with some serious bounce in them - like trying on a pair of running trainers.
The shoes felt light to hold, but to be honest not as light as I’d expected having seen pictures. In the flesh, they also looked quite bulky – in a good way however, with cushioning in the right areas, a chunky, high-quality sole and what seemed like enough features to justify the £159.99 you’d be expected to pay for these beauties.
On The Course
Wearing the shoes for the first time on the course, it was impossible not to notice the huge amount of bounce the Tour360 XT’s offered, to say there was a spring in my step walking to 1st would be an understatement. So much so, whether or not this would be a good thing for my stability during the golf swing, I was intrigued to find out.
1st tee shot, middle of the club face, middle of the fairway, 2nd shot, wedge to the front of the green, 2 putts, par. Thank you very much. What on earth could go wrong? Surely I had nothing to complain about… Well you’d be wrong.
Adidas’ popular Boost technology used throughout the midsole of the shoe is the big talking point here. There’s no doubting that it does what it says on the tin: ‘adds great comfort and energy return, so that you feel fresh for the duration of your round.’ For walking the course, this is brilliant. Not once did I have any complaints regarding the comfort of these shoes, I’d even go as far to say at times you feel as though you’re walking on mini pockets of air.
In the golf swing however, I like a shoe to have quite a firm and stable base from which to start the swing upon. In the Tour360 XT I’m not exaggerating when I say I could have gone for a run and they’d have probably seen me right. Adidas weren’t joking when they refer to ‘energy return’. If you’re the sort of golfer who finds themselves running back to the tee a lot after not hitting a provisional ball, when you should have done (you know who you are), these are the shoes for you.
Many golfers will love the bouncy feel the Tour360 XT offers, it just wasn’t to my taste and I think it’s the sort thing that will divide opinion, or at least take some getting used to. The Tour360 XT certainly doesn’t sacrifice comfort. I’ll leave that to you to decide whether it’s a good thing or not.
Stepping inside the shoe, the comfort continued. One aspect that really stood out to me was the leather lined heel. It looked and felt great. It was of the highest quality and seemed as if it would stand the test of time. There was no rubbing or niggles and my heel felt locked in when walking and swinging.
A new feature which I’m seeing crop up a lot in new golf shoes, from a number of manufacturers, is sockliners. The adidas Tour360 XT was no different. This time hailed as an Insite sockliner said to ‘cup the heel and hold it in place for better stability’. Over 18 holes it provided the bridge of my foot with the slight bit of extra cushioning required to stop any niggles between the upper and tongue of the shoe.
Compared to the FJ Fury and Ecco Biom G3 however, although a welcome addition I thought the sockliner was a little thin and nothing too much to shout home about.
Probably the biggest change from the previous Tour 360 model to the XT is the improved TPU outsole. New X-Traxion lugs have been added to the existing spikes to provide even more grip and stability, whilst there are also now eight spikes rather than ten to add flexibility and remove some weight. Whether a weight loss of two spikes is really going to make that much of a difference, I’ll let you be the judge.
Like the comfort, the grip and traction from the Tour360 XT is outstanding. No matter what terrain, what conditions or what state your golf swing may be in, these shoes offer some of the best grip I’ve tested in a spiked golf shoe.
The cleats combine extremely well with the X-Traxion lugs to anchor your foot to the ground. Any feelings I had of being unbalanced because of the Boost technology were combated with the reassurance that my foot was secure and planted. This is the kind of traction I truly believe can actually have a positive effect on performance too - it gives you confidence. The kind of confidence I can only imagine the likes of Dustin Johnson feel when teeing it up, knowing they are about to split the fairway with a 330+ yard bomb. Unfortunately I can’t promise that kind of yardage improvement, but golf is a game of confidence and any shoe that can offer that, I’m a fan of.
One minor downside of the Puremotion outsole that didn’t really bother me too much, but I can imagine will bother some golfers, is the small hole in the middle of the TPU plate. Aesthetically, this is a contemporary look and works as part of the trademark 360 wrap we’ve become accustomed to seeing on the Tour 360 models. But, there’s no doubting that over the duration of 18 holes this will get clogged up with course debris and therefore add unwanted, extra weight to the shoe – undoing the weight loss gained from removing two of the cleats.
At the end of my round, my feet felt fairly fresh, but there was some signs of sweat. Although I wouldn’t say breathability was an ‘issue’, I wouldn’t consider the adidas Tour 360 XT’s the most breathable shoe I have ever worn either.
Would I Use It?
Yes. Comfort and traction are two huge factors when deciding to buy a golf shoe, and the adidas Tour 360 XT ticks those boxes with a permanent marker.
I like the clean and no-nonsense trademark adidas looks and the premium leather upper, coupled with thick laces and a cushioned tongue that really do secure the foot nicely.
My aforementioned reservations surrounding the Boost technology in the sole of the shoe are the only thing that would put me off slightly. Again, that’s down to personal feel and taste. At £159.99 (which I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to find at £150 from your honest local pro) this is a great golf shoe.
Adidas Tour360 XT Verdict?
As I expected when unboxing the Tour360 XT’s, these are a great golf shoe. They will offer 95% of golfers the comfort, traction and performance they’re after.
Word of warning: don’t expect the greenkeepers at your club to be sending you a Christmas card if you wear these for a full season. The traction is genuinely that good, you’ll be leaving the kind of marks on the course that even a certain Sergio Garcia would be proud of…
Pros
- Simple but effective aesthetics
- Comfort of the highest order
- Outstanding traction on all golfing terrains
- Two year waterproof warranty for peace of mind
- Competitive price tag
- Tried and tested by some of the best players on the planet
Cons
- Boost technology may not be every golfers cup of tea and could leave some golfers feeling a little unbalanced during the swing
- Spike marks galore
- Breathability could be an issue in warm weather for some golfers
- Limited colourway options
